Illuminators
The Illuminators are a Codex-Divergent loyalist Space Marine Chapter originating from the 8th Founding, presumed to be descendants of the Raven Guard. They hail from the tight-knit Devotio Sector, more specifically Sub-Sector Illustrant, operating out of the moon Nullepart Secondus, repurposed as a Fortress-Monastery. The Illuminators are known for their use of extremely specialised infantry, and notoriously high training standards, as well as their practice of sending out marines in deployments similar to a Deathwatch Kill-Team to support allied forces. Chapter History Early History Despite what some in the Imperium have speculated, the earliest confirmed records regarding the Illuminators date to the end of the Nova Terra Interregnum, when the Chapter was encountered defending the Hive World Atlesia IV from an Ork invasion. After questioning from the Inquisitorial forces who encountered them, their Chapter Master Vallo Corio managed to persuade the Chapter's questioners to not pry into their history further, or at least to prioritise other, more pressing threats. Through the careful teaching of new recruits, the events before this date remained unknown to even the marines of The Illuminators themselves until recent events brought them to light for at least the Commandants. After the immediate Greenskin threat had been reduced to levels suitable for Atlesia IV's Planetary Defense Force to deal with, The Illuminators (who at the time numbered barely more than 100 Astartes) established a base of operations on Nullepart Secondus and started recruitment from the primary Nullepart world. Chapter Homeworld , Chapter Homeworld of the Illuminators.]] A force to be reckoned with, with influence stretching across almost the entire Imperium, the mighty warriors of the Illuminators are paragons of strength, power and versatility, even amongst the superhuman ranks of the Astartes. Their fortress-monastery, the moon Nullepart Secondus, houses training arenas the size of hab-blocks, with manufactorums ran by their bondsmen producing all manner of specialised equipment, all overseen by their Chapter Master, the venerable Charrat Medjo. Nullepart Secondus is a captured asteroid, in orbit around the death world of Nullepart, Secondus carries a strange shape, looking reminiscent of the head of some gargantuan creature, but tests show it to be very conclusively dead. Individual battle-brothers of the Illuminators pride themselves on achieving perfection, and as such will spend every spare moment rehearsing weapon drills or running live-fire training operations in one of Secondus’ labyrinthine training arenas. The planet Nullepart itself was once a shining bastion of imperial might, but at some point, before the arrival of the Illuminators, it fell apart under brutal civil war, the once-proud hive world reduced to barren wastelands and treacherous wreckages. A death world in the truest sense of the term, Nullepart's roaming bands of scavengers and raiders make up the chapter's recruits, the ferocity and toughness required to live such a life making for fine Space Marines. Notable Campaigns Due to the nature of their chapter structure, the Illuminators have had a place in a great many conflicts since their founding. War of Recovery During the Adeptus Mechanicus' expedition to recover more STC fragments, the 28th and 42nd Deployments of the Illuminators, led by Rigalis Nurma and Toutio Mallerong respectively, aided the Imperial Knight house Anubis on a selection of brutal battlefields. It was these events, including the safeguarding of their flagship Knight: The Heart of Ra after it mysteriously lost all power, protecting it for 53 hours without pause, that led to the lasting bond both House Anubis and The Illuminators now share to this day. 9th Black Crusade When Abaddon the Despoiler launched his 9th Black Crusade in 537.M38, the 23rd, 43rd and 87th Deployments (led by Judju Noorabury, Gnuger Burrajarra and Atecilus Mulyenoora respectively) of The Illuminators took part in the defence of the Imperial Navy fortress of Cancephalus, fighting primarily alongside the Celestial Swords. Unfortunately, all three of the deployments were slain by the forces of chaos, as were the Celestial Swords, but The Illuminators feel a sense of pride for having been around for both Chapters' last moments and standing by them until the end. Sancta Angelis Campaign When the Raptors Chapter was cut off from the wider Imperium 339.M39, the 79th Deployment, led by Cagi Mungar, fought alongside them against the Ork Warboss Irongol. During this period Mungar learnt much from the marines of The Raptors, and by the time the campaign had ended the two chapters had established a strong working relationship. Damocles Gulf Crusade When the Imperium moved to wipe out the young xenos race known as the T'au, the Illuminators were among the forces called to join the fight. This being the largest campaign the Chapter had undergone, a special task force consisting of the 4th, 10th, 12th, 39th, 40th, 47th , 56th, 61st, 77th and 99th Deployments was assembled and deployed as a company-sized force of Space Marines, a first for the Chapter. Despite the loss of the 12th, 56th and 61st Deployments, the battlefields the Illuminators fought on were all victories for the Imperium, with the exception of the fighting on the T'au Sept of Dal'yth, where the arrival of the Tyranid Hive Fleet Behemoth necessitated a swift withdrawal. Battle for Macragge After the end of the Damocles Gulf Crusade, the Illuminators deployments shifted to combat the threat of Hive Fleet Behemoth, resulting in the loss of the 99th Deployment, the surviving Deployments were eventually sent to Macragge to aid in the defence of the Ultramarines, seeing that their homeworld would face Behemoth head-on. In an attempt to buy Marneus Calgar more time to fortify the planet, the remaining Deployments assaulted Behemoth's Hive Ships to try and disable their propulsion, rendering them unable to make their way to Macragge. The 10th, 39th and 40th Deployments were wiped out before they could breach the chitinous hulls of the targeted ships and the remaining Deployments were killed by Tyranid forces before they could destroy anything that affected the ship's movement. Badab War After Lufgt Huron declared his rebellion, the Illuminators sent the 13th, 36th, 60th, and 93rd Deployments to assist their allies in the Raptors Chapter. But the 15th, 33rd and 45th Deployments had been working alongside the Lamenters and the Astral Claws. For the first time in recorded history, the Illuminators had no choice but to fight each other. As brother fought brother in the bitter battlefields of the Badab War, the 33rd Deployment fought alongside the Carcharadon Astra on their assignment to cripple the infrastructure of Badab Primaris, but they were killed by the detonation of the primary hives' reactor cores. The loyalist elements of the Illuminators were victorious over those that had sided with the traitors, and the Deployments who were serving alongside the Lamenters were allowed back into the fold of the Chapter, those serving with the Astral Claws, however, escaped before the main bulk of the Chapter could render judgment, leaving the Chapter Master Moolyarl Bottail no choice but to declare them traitors to the Imperium. 13th Black Crusade As Abbadon the Despoiler launched his 13th Black Crusade, besieging Cadia and drawing the attention of the wider Imperium, The Illuminators sent almost their entire Chapter to the subsector, with the exception of the 1st, 17th, 38th and 96th Deployments, who were unable to break away from their assignments in time before the destruction of Cadia. The 3rd, 31st, 33rd and 52nd Deployments were lost in the Black Crusade, most of which were killed on Cadia itself. Indomitus Crusade Roboute Guilliman's triumphant return to the Imperium was punctuated by the legendary Indomitus Crusade, The Illuminators' 12th, 32nd 35th, 46th, 53rd, 56th and 70th Deployments were among the many Space Marine strike forces deployed in the Crusade, and all but the 35th and 70th Deployments made it back. Nullepart Schism During a routine incursion against a minor Chaos Space Marine Warband following the Chaos God Slaanesh , The Commandant in charge of the operation: Commandant Charrat Medjo, quickly noticed something strange. When he returned to Nullepart Secondus, he informed his fellow Commandants that the warband he and his Deployments had fought used similar tactics and wargear as The Illuminators themselves. Medjo and his close friend Mayborr Jangie investigated further and eventually uncovered a cult within the chapter worshipping Slaanesh, a cult that included many of their fellow Commandants and even The Illuminators' Chapter Master: Moolyarl Bottail. Not wanting to risk appearing as heretics, the pair slowly reached out, gaining allies among the loyalist members of the Chapter, notably including Commandant Mayra Yorresie, the Master of Relics. The loyalists made their move when the entire Chapter had congregated for the appointment of a new Master of the Rites, opening fire when the marines had assembled for battle-brother Brojah Tooping to receive his new rank, resulting in a brutal and violent war sweeping over Nullepart Secondus, brother fighting brother in a conflict that would be considered extreme even among Astartes. The fighting eventually finished when Medjo slew Bottail in single combat, impaling him on his own Power Sword. After venting the bodies of Bottail and his traitorous ilk into deep space, Medjo officially took command of The Illuminators and vowed to never again let their quest for perfection reach this level. Chapter Organisation Thanks in part to their long history working alongside the Deathwatch, the Illuminators have adapted part of their traditions and organisational structure. Instead of deploying at Chapter strength like the Minotaurs or Blood Scorpions, or even at Company strength like their allies in The Blue Flames or Steel Tempests, the Illuminators prefer to operate on a smaller scale, bringing only a handful of squads to a battle, each individual marine specialised for their own methods of waging war. Thanks to the rigorous training standards imposed by the Chapter, each individual battle-brother is among the greatest men at their skills, their devastators able to wield a staggering amount of weapons with ease, their assault marines capable of charging almost any enemy and coming out in one piece and their librarians dealing out terrifying power with a single thought, burning their enemies from within with deadly psychic flame. Chapter Recruitment The apocalyptic Death World Nullepart is no place to take lightly. Individuals hailing from the toxic wastes are known to on some occasions outperform those from Catachan, but the Catachans being what they are means this is a rare thing indeed. The Illuminators see the recruitment process as simply the first stage in their rigorous training programs, and the recruits are, as such, gathered through a method that reflects that. Every Nullepart year, the 99th Deployment of the Chapter, containing the Master of Recruits and the current Scout Marines, goes down to the Colosseum on the planet's surface, named The Tonnerredôme and activates the vox systems, spreading the message that the Illuminators are recruiting far and wide through the use of strategically placed vox relay systems. After three days of broadcasting, the vox systems are shut off and the recruitment begins. Each wastelander hoping to become a space marine must undertake a series of challenges, the first of which being a test of endurance: in order to prove their worthiness, the Aspirants must put on backpacks, laden down with Ferrocrete and run around the perimeter of The Tonnerredôme, continuing around and around until at least half of the Aspirants have collapsed, at which point the running is halted and the backpacks of the fallen Aspirants are placed on the backs of the remaining wastelanders and they start the run again. This, in turn, continues until half again of the Aspirants have collapsed, at which point the fallen are sent home and the remaining Aspirants are given a break of one Terran hour before the next trial. The second trial for the Aspirants is a test of reflexes, this is done through a technique the current Master of Recruits Kyang Nolligan has taken to calling "The Tempests' Wrath" in reference to The Illuminators' steadfast allies in The Steel Tempests. Each of the Aspirants must stand 100 metres from a Boltgun that has been retrofitted by the Techmarines to fire non-lethal bolt substitutes, the Boltgun is then fired on full-auto, with the pace steadily increasing and the aim gradually improving until the Aspirant is finally struck. This is repeated for all of the remaining Aspirants and the half with the longest times in the Wrath are put forward to the next task after another hour's wait, while the rest are left to go home. The third test is a test of physical might and combat ability. For each Aspirant, a Scout Marine will lay down in front of them, the Aspirant can use any means necessary to keep the marine from getting up while the Scout Marine must try to force their way off of the ground. The Aspirants who manage to pin their Scout Marine for the longest are put through to the final round, while the rest are sent home. After half of a Terran hour, the fourth and final challenge begins, a test of intelligence. An Illuminator's strong body is no good with a weak mind, and as such the Aspirants must complete a written examination to determine their final placing, with the half that achieved the highest marks being awarded the honour of joining the Chapter. This last test serves another purpose though, providing the Master of Recruits an insight into the Aspirant's thought patterns and allowing him to place them in a role best suited for them. Chapter Beliefs The Illuminators do not worship The Emperor of Mankind as a deity, but they still hold him in especially high regard compared to most Astartes Chapters. They believe they must strive for perfection, and that their legacy is achieved through their deeds. The Marines of The Illuminators are passionate about training and will spend almost every waking moment either improving their minds in the massive libraries of Nullepart Secondus or improving their bodies in the expansive arenas and weight-training sections. Notable Illuminators Charrat Medjo Charrat Medjo is a calm, stoic leader, with a sense of power behind every word he speaks. When he enters combat he lives up to this powerful visage with his dual Power Swords, Neyel and Bunit, and a terrifying ferocity that drives him to take down threats that could kill a lesser Astartes as easily as blinking. He rose to the rank of Commandant quickly, and remained in that position until a routine incursion against a Chaos Warband led to the revelation of a chapter-spanning sect of Slaanesh worshippers, including the at-the-time Chapter Master Moolyarl Bottail, who Medjo slew in single combat, casting his armour and lifeless body into the darkness of space. From that moment onwards Medjo assumed leadership of the Illuminators and has worked tirelessly to rebuild them to the premiere fighting force he knows they can be, the myriad of Imperial forces he and his Chapter have fought alongside since can certainly attest that these efforts are succeeding. Mayborr Jangie Close friends with Medjo, Mayborr Jangie grew up alongside the Chapter Master in the vast expanses of Nullepart's Voiceless Desert. A more sociable counterpart to Medjo, with less physical presence than his companion, albeit he is still not to be taken lightly, as not only an Astartes but a member of the Illuminators he stands out among his peers. Armed with Berda-Yi Nirrang, a shotgun of ancient and advanced design with an attached power blade he claims he would trust with his life, Jangie has been taking the fight to the mutant, heretic, and xeno for centuries, and he doesn't look likely to stop anytime soon. Chapter Appearance Chapter Colours The Illuminators primarily wear violet coloured battle-plate. The top of the backpack, helmet, faceplate, shoulder pauldron trim, wrist guards, poleyns (knee guards) and sabatons (boots) are white in colour. A white coloured squad specialty symbol (Tactical, Devastator, Assault and Veteran) on the right armorial indicates a battle-brother's specialty. A violet coloured gothic numeral stencilled upon the right poleyn indicates the first digit of their Deployment number, while another on the left poleyn indicates the second digit. A white coloured gothic numeral stencilled on the inset of the right armorial also indicates the first digit of their Deployment number, so it remains visible despite their robes. Chapter Badge The Illuminators Chapter Badge is a stylised white coloured falcon, it's wings displayed and extended, crowned with an Iron Halo, symbolising the illumination the Chapter brings to both the downtrodden and the enemies of Mankind. This icon is centered upon a field of violet. Chapter Fleet The Illuminators' fleet is has nothing of note compared to other Astartes Chapters, quite literally in fact. Beyond a single Battle Barge named Shining Light the 'fleet' consists entirely of Thunderhawk gunships and the like. Interestingly enough, rumours persist of Illuminator Deployments making use of an extremely rare flier for special missions, descriptions of its design seemingly match that of the Deathwatch's own Corvus Blackstar, but such rumours are, as of yet, still merely rumours. Chapter Relics Neyel and Bunit Two power swords, of vastly different design but still recognisably forged by the same creator. Neyel is a long, thin sword designed for thrusting, with a distinctive basket-hilt design that sets it apart from most other blades of the type. On the blade itself, the phrase "Legatum Honoris" has been inscribed. Bunit is around the same size as Neyel, but with a curved blade and comparatively ornate decorations on the hilt, which is more a standard Power Sword's. Inscribed on Bunit's blade is the phrase "Historia Paenitentia". Both swords are currently being used by The Illuminators' Chapter Master: Carrat Medjo. Berda-Yi Nirrang Berda-Yi Nirrang is an Astartes-sized shotgun with an attached power sword as a bayonet. It's user: Mayborr Jangie jokingly refers to it as a brother he never had, crediting it for saving his life on a great many occasions through the surprising power behind every shot. Allies Blue Flames One of the Illuminators' closest allies is the Codex-Divergent Blue Flames Chapter, led by Chapter Master Jubal Osiris. This bond was forged mostly through proximity and through fighting alongside one another in many minor conflicts in the region, even on the Blue Flames' own homeworld of Gertlysh, fighting against the Silenimore menace. The Illuminators are also relatively close allies with The Nerva Dynasty, assisting Tadia Nerva's efforts in the Devotio Sector alongside her friends among the Blue Flames. Steel Tempests Another close friend of the Illuminators would be the Steel Tempests, finding their strategies complement one another extremely well. This relationship has also evolved into a surprisingly close friendship between Medjo and Rainald, which grew out of a mutual respect for one another's extremely determined nature and eventually blossomed into the close bond it is today. Jade Paladins The Jade Paladins have certainly fallen on hard times recently, and their neighbours in the Caedis Sector have all assembled to support them in overcoming their genetic issues, with the 7th, 28th, 34th, 43rd and 48th Deployments assigned with the Jade Paladins to support them in whatever conflicts they end up embroiled in for the foreseeable future. While Chapter Master Zhelan Dai has never gotten along with Medjo or Jangie, he appreciates the assistance of their friends in violet, and this act of support has led to a mutual respect. Knight House Anubis After fighting alongside one another in the War of Recovery and protecting The Heart of Ra, House Anubis has always enjoyed a close alliance with The Illuminators, with Arat Thiti famously quoting a passage written on the walls of Medjo's private chambers on the battlefield. Raptors The Illuminators maintain a close working relationship with The Raptors, fighting alongside them in the Badab War and many other conflicts. The Raptors' influence led to a lot of the strategies used by The Illuminators being codified, and as such, they are held in high regard by the Chapter. Enemies Emperor's Children The Illuminators were not known to have any particular enemies beyond the regular slew of Xenos, Heretics and worse. This changed after the Nullepart Schism, however, as Medjo and Jangie have been directing the Chapter to fight all Slaaneshi cults and warbands they can find with extreme prejudice, as a form of penance for the cult that formed within their own ranks. Due to their comparatively high-profile nature, the Emperor's Children and their descendants are perhaps the most common foe of this type for them to face. Notable Quotes Feel free to add your own By the Illuminators About the Illuminators Category:Raven Guard Successors Category:Imperium Category:Space Marine Chapters Category:Space Marines Category:8th Founding